Indiana Pacers: Domontas Sabonis’ emergence as an all-star is just the beginning
By Nick Andre
Despite the injury to Victor Oladipo, the Indiana Pacers managed to remain a top 5 team in the Eastern Conference. A big part of that was due to the emergence of Domantas Sabonis.
Domontas Sabonis, during the 2019-20 NBA season, emerged into the player and dominant force down low that many expected Myles Turner to develop into. All season long, Sabonis has been a pest in the middle as his energy has made a huge impact for the Indiana Pacers.
Being selected to his first all-star game was no fluke, to say the least. Sabonis has been a double-double machine for much of the season and has emerged into one of the league leaders in crashing the glass.
Averaging 18.5 points and 12.4 rebounds per game this season, Sabonis has improved every season and has been one of the leaders in the locker room. He’s set the tone for Indiana this season, whether he’s camped under the basket, hitting mid-range jumpers, or even hitting the occasional 3-point shot.
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One of the most underrated attributes in Sabonis’ game this season has been his facilitating. Averaging five assists per game this season, he’s made it a priority to find his open teammates. His vision has been incredible for a big man. He’s had four games this season where he has had double-digit assists and it helps his teammates get into a flow for themselves.
With the defense paying a lot of attention when Sabonis gets the ball, he can make them pay for double teams by finding a wide-open guy to get a good look at the basket.
Even after his return to the team, Victor Oladipo was slowly getting back into the flow of things. While he showed flashes of his pre-injury self, his reinsertion into the lineup was always going to be a work-in-progress. As time goes by, and with the more reps he gets with the team, there’s no question that the two-time All-Star will return to being the elite player that he once was.
Sabonis will more likely be his running mate as far as leading this team to contention in the East. His impact on the floor along with Oladipo’s leadership will place them in a much better position than they’re put in now.
Sabonis will continue to improve as his career goes on. At only 24 years of age, Sabonis still has plenty of room to grow as a team player and as an individual talent. There’s no question that Nate McMillan, the Pacers head coach, has trusted Sabonis to make plays throughout the season. His ability to play with or without the ball has been huge for the Pacers, and they have benefitted tremendously because of it.
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The future of the Indiana Pacers is in good hands going forward. It’s still uncertain whether the team will keep both Myles Turner and Sabonis, as both are being paid big money. But if they do, that really gives Sabonis the keys to play that big man position to his advantage. Sabonis will continue to improve to have his name in the same conversation as the other elite centers. And if he keeps flourishing the way he has, he will earn himself that title as an elite NBA big man.